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Mike O’Brien has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for … well, quite a while. At Multichannel Merchant he focuses on the world of direct-to-customer operations and fulfillment, editing MCM’s weekly O+F Advisor newsletter, and programs the annual Ecommerce Operations Summit conference. Previously Mike was a senior account executive for Marx Communications, a boutique public relations firm working with marketing and advertising technology companies. Other past work includes stints as a media relations consultant for a concert promoter, a marketing communications specialist for a pharma software firm, a research analyst covering corporate e-learning and a daily newspaper reporter on every beat imaginable – except sports.

Google is seeing gains in its Google Express same-day delivery service this holiday season, as it looks to claw back ecommerce search traffic lost to Amazon.com because more consumers are going there for product research.

According to Google, as cited in an article by Bloomberg, Google Express handled 50% more toys in the two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, while sales of books rose more than 30%.

eBay said 83 businesses – including online merchants as well as retailers with physical stores – have joined its eBay Local pilot program in Brooklyn, NY., offering a range of delivery options, including $5 same-day and in-store pickup, to consumers through eBay’s website and mobile apps.

The Brooklyn trial is taking place as the company shifts the focus of Amazon Local more toward its core marketplace sellers, with less emphasis on major retailers.

Continuing on its juggernaut of instant fulfillment of all kinds of stuff from “the anything store,” Amazon today announced Prime Now, a service that will allow Prime members in New York to receive household items like paper towels and laundry soap in as little as an hour via a mobile app.

The app, which is available in iOs and Android versions, give Prime members in select New York neighborhoods free two-hour delivery; the one-hour version costs $7.99 per order. The company’s much-touted facility on West 34th St. in Manhattan will serve as the fulfillment hub.

ShipMatrix president Satish Jindel talks with Multichannel Merchant senior editor Mike O’Brien about his company’s latest on-time performance report for UPS and FedEx, and how major initiatives and investments from … Continue Reading →

In the never-ending battle for holiday shopping dollars, clothing retailer Banana Republic is offering free same-day shipping from Wednesday, Dec. 17 through Tuesday, Dec. 23 as part of its “Procrastinators Event” promotional program, the company said in a press release.

Monday, Dec. 15 is expected to be the highest volume delivery day for both FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service, with UPS projecting the following Monday, Dec. 22, to be its largest shipping day this holiday season.

Alibaba says it is doing all it can to keep on top of security issues that affect its ecommerce merchants, after a published report noted that an Israeli firm in late October found a security flaw in AliExpress, the company’s English language ecommerce site.